Chapter Three: The Torso
I slept for a long time that night, once I got home. I tried to ignore the phone that had been ringing off the hook. I picked it up. "Hello," I say, agitated.
"Ah Dennis. Glad you finally picked up. Ready for our next ghost?" A familiar voice ringed in my ear.
"Who the hell." I was about to say, but now figured out who I was talking to. "Cyrus," I say, mocking myself.
"Good morning," He says, seeming cheerful.
"What do you want?" I respond sharply.
"Don't tell me you forgot?"
"I told you, I quit."
"Don't worry Dennis, our next ghost is not as harmful."
"Oh really."
"In-fact he can't do any. You see, he has nothing to harm us with. His hands and legs have been dismembered from his body. Ah yes, and his head as well. He is the ghost known as, 'The Torso.'"
"Look, I don't care anymore. Leave my self-miserable life and me alone.
"Dennis boy. Don't you need this money?"
"Well yes but."
"Then hurry up. What are you waiting for? No did-doodling and let's get our next spirit."
I didn't want to do this anymore, but he was right. I did need that money badly if I was ever going to pay for anything. But how much was he planning on paying me anyway?
"How much?" I say.
"How much what?"
"How much are you paying me to catch these things?
There was silence. "Excluding the airplane rides, hotels, and food that I will be paying for, I believe five-thousand a ghost sounds good enough. What about do you think?"
"How many ghosts do we have to catch?"
"Exactly twelve of them." I did the math. Sixty thousand dollars. I laughed inside my head. That's a good amount of money, but was it really worth all of this. My greed took me over.
"Fine. Where's our next ghost?"
"Glad you finally changed your mind. It's in Maryland."
"That's a bit far don't you think?"
"Ah, but it's worth it. A taxi will be arriving at your place early in the morning. Pack for a couple of weeks and be ready. And Dennis remember that not all of these ghosts are not as friendly as they seem," he laughs, "Like our little Billy Michaels who was murder to catch."
God, he really was demented. I hang up the phone and begin to pack. I didn't really have much with me, so I packed what I needed to take. I didn't do much after that. Took another shower and watched TV basically, then I went to bed. When I woke, I got ready, ate breakfast, and then waited for the Taxi. It came, and we headed off to the airport.
It was hard getting through places like this. Lots of crowds. I stayed in big, empty places and walked by myself. I waited at the loading lobby until my plane was called up, and I boarded the airplane. Once onboard, I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the people go by, but I hear a body sit next to the seat I was in. "Dennis?" A soft-spoken woman calls out to me.
I could tell she wanted to tap me on the shoulder, but was afraid that I might endure her past. I open my eyes and see Erin seated next to me. I smile, happy to see her again. "You're on this plane too huh?" I say, joyfully.
"Yes. Cyrus wanted us to ride up together, so we could get back to old times," she joked.
"Well, I'm glad that I have someone to talk to. God Erin. How come you've never contacted me before?"
"I wasn't as strong in my ability as I am now. I didn't have enough power to find you, but I was getting signals that you were somewhere close by. My life was harsh too, and I had almost given up, so that threw me off balance." Erin tells me.
"I'm just glad I finally get to see you again."
"Me too."
Erin and I talk a bit more, telling each other about what has happened to us. I tried not to mention much, but I told her about my parent's death and left out the abusive treatment I got from people who didn't know what it was like to be psychic. Erin has hotel reservations, as well as a plan of what we are going to do the next morning. Of course catch the ghost.
We share a cab and head to the hotel. Not much talking goes on between us, but I know she was still as excited to see me as when we met again. We each sign for our rooms and say our good-byes till the morning. I lay on my bed and drift asleep.
A knock on the door woke me this time, and I roll over on my side, ignoring it. Yet again I hear the knock and figure where I am. I must've dosed off, because I hadn't even gotten into the covers. I get up and open the door. Erin is standing in there, wearing jeans and a long sleeved top. She looks at me and laughs.
"You're wearing those again?" She points to my clothes and says.
"Just a minute. I have to get ready. Come on in."
She does so, sitting in the guest chair, and I run to my bag, grab some clothes and run into the bathroom. "I'm sorry I'm running late," I say, changing.
"No hurry. I actually came here a bit early. I just wanted to see if you were up and visit with you."
"I see," I say smirking.
I finish getting ready and we head off. We are to go to a lake and find the spirit of this ghost, 'The Torso.' The ride takes about and hour, but we finally make it. Cyrus has greeted us. "You're a bit early," he says, "I see your as anxious as I am to collect him.
Flashes pop into my mind. A man had been gambling and he lost. He said he'd pay them, but he needed to find the money. They didn't believe him, but let him go anyway. They came to his house and kidnapped him. They took him to a cottage by the lake and cut off his legs and head. His head was the last thing they took off, so he was still alive when they cut off the others first. His screams fill my head as I watch the men wrap his body in cellophane and bury him beside the lake.
The past was over in my mind. I had hoped that I didn't get any flashes, but my wish had been broken. Erin had too got the picture in her head and she pointed to the cottage house. "His remains are all over the place," she says.
"I guess you'd like some background info on 'The Torso.' His name was Jimmy Gambino and he was a gambling fool. His games got the best of him when he lost a bet and ran. Those men came for him, murdered his family and then murdered him." Cyrus tells us, but then pays his attention to the trees.
"Alright," Cyrus says and taps his cane. His men come out with a glass box. One of the same things to catch Billy with. "You two," he says pointing to Erin and I, "find out where his pieces are and tell my men."
Erin nods and goes over the cottage house. Surely enough we find all the body parts. I myself didn't know where to look, but I got hunches and I had guessed right. We placed Jimmy's body parts in bags and I heard the chant being turned on, so I put on my glasses knowing that there'd be a ghost. Sure enough, there he was in all his glory.
He was a torso indeed, walking on his arms. He wanted to find his body parts, but was more intrigued by the chant as it led him closer to the glass prison. What was the chant saying that held the ghosts in a state of hypnotism? Jimmy slowly made it to the box and the box closed, sealing him in. our second ghost had been caught.
"I'd say that went fairly well," Cyrus says, as the chant is turned off.
"Yea," I say, watching as Jimmy circles over and over in his little box.
I knew what was coming ahead of me, the dangers that would be placed before me, but I hoped Erin wouldn't get killed doing it. I came back to this job mostly because of her, but I did too need the money. Everyone was packing up and Erin and I headed to the hotel.
I slept for a long time that night, once I got home. I tried to ignore the phone that had been ringing off the hook. I picked it up. "Hello," I say, agitated.
"Ah Dennis. Glad you finally picked up. Ready for our next ghost?" A familiar voice ringed in my ear.
"Who the hell." I was about to say, but now figured out who I was talking to. "Cyrus," I say, mocking myself.
"Good morning," He says, seeming cheerful.
"What do you want?" I respond sharply.
"Don't tell me you forgot?"
"I told you, I quit."
"Don't worry Dennis, our next ghost is not as harmful."
"Oh really."
"In-fact he can't do any. You see, he has nothing to harm us with. His hands and legs have been dismembered from his body. Ah yes, and his head as well. He is the ghost known as, 'The Torso.'"
"Look, I don't care anymore. Leave my self-miserable life and me alone.
"Dennis boy. Don't you need this money?"
"Well yes but."
"Then hurry up. What are you waiting for? No did-doodling and let's get our next spirit."
I didn't want to do this anymore, but he was right. I did need that money badly if I was ever going to pay for anything. But how much was he planning on paying me anyway?
"How much?" I say.
"How much what?"
"How much are you paying me to catch these things?
There was silence. "Excluding the airplane rides, hotels, and food that I will be paying for, I believe five-thousand a ghost sounds good enough. What about do you think?"
"How many ghosts do we have to catch?"
"Exactly twelve of them." I did the math. Sixty thousand dollars. I laughed inside my head. That's a good amount of money, but was it really worth all of this. My greed took me over.
"Fine. Where's our next ghost?"
"Glad you finally changed your mind. It's in Maryland."
"That's a bit far don't you think?"
"Ah, but it's worth it. A taxi will be arriving at your place early in the morning. Pack for a couple of weeks and be ready. And Dennis remember that not all of these ghosts are not as friendly as they seem," he laughs, "Like our little Billy Michaels who was murder to catch."
God, he really was demented. I hang up the phone and begin to pack. I didn't really have much with me, so I packed what I needed to take. I didn't do much after that. Took another shower and watched TV basically, then I went to bed. When I woke, I got ready, ate breakfast, and then waited for the Taxi. It came, and we headed off to the airport.
It was hard getting through places like this. Lots of crowds. I stayed in big, empty places and walked by myself. I waited at the loading lobby until my plane was called up, and I boarded the airplane. Once onboard, I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the people go by, but I hear a body sit next to the seat I was in. "Dennis?" A soft-spoken woman calls out to me.
I could tell she wanted to tap me on the shoulder, but was afraid that I might endure her past. I open my eyes and see Erin seated next to me. I smile, happy to see her again. "You're on this plane too huh?" I say, joyfully.
"Yes. Cyrus wanted us to ride up together, so we could get back to old times," she joked.
"Well, I'm glad that I have someone to talk to. God Erin. How come you've never contacted me before?"
"I wasn't as strong in my ability as I am now. I didn't have enough power to find you, but I was getting signals that you were somewhere close by. My life was harsh too, and I had almost given up, so that threw me off balance." Erin tells me.
"I'm just glad I finally get to see you again."
"Me too."
Erin and I talk a bit more, telling each other about what has happened to us. I tried not to mention much, but I told her about my parent's death and left out the abusive treatment I got from people who didn't know what it was like to be psychic. Erin has hotel reservations, as well as a plan of what we are going to do the next morning. Of course catch the ghost.
We share a cab and head to the hotel. Not much talking goes on between us, but I know she was still as excited to see me as when we met again. We each sign for our rooms and say our good-byes till the morning. I lay on my bed and drift asleep.
A knock on the door woke me this time, and I roll over on my side, ignoring it. Yet again I hear the knock and figure where I am. I must've dosed off, because I hadn't even gotten into the covers. I get up and open the door. Erin is standing in there, wearing jeans and a long sleeved top. She looks at me and laughs.
"You're wearing those again?" She points to my clothes and says.
"Just a minute. I have to get ready. Come on in."
She does so, sitting in the guest chair, and I run to my bag, grab some clothes and run into the bathroom. "I'm sorry I'm running late," I say, changing.
"No hurry. I actually came here a bit early. I just wanted to see if you were up and visit with you."
"I see," I say smirking.
I finish getting ready and we head off. We are to go to a lake and find the spirit of this ghost, 'The Torso.' The ride takes about and hour, but we finally make it. Cyrus has greeted us. "You're a bit early," he says, "I see your as anxious as I am to collect him.
Flashes pop into my mind. A man had been gambling and he lost. He said he'd pay them, but he needed to find the money. They didn't believe him, but let him go anyway. They came to his house and kidnapped him. They took him to a cottage by the lake and cut off his legs and head. His head was the last thing they took off, so he was still alive when they cut off the others first. His screams fill my head as I watch the men wrap his body in cellophane and bury him beside the lake.
The past was over in my mind. I had hoped that I didn't get any flashes, but my wish had been broken. Erin had too got the picture in her head and she pointed to the cottage house. "His remains are all over the place," she says.
"I guess you'd like some background info on 'The Torso.' His name was Jimmy Gambino and he was a gambling fool. His games got the best of him when he lost a bet and ran. Those men came for him, murdered his family and then murdered him." Cyrus tells us, but then pays his attention to the trees.
"Alright," Cyrus says and taps his cane. His men come out with a glass box. One of the same things to catch Billy with. "You two," he says pointing to Erin and I, "find out where his pieces are and tell my men."
Erin nods and goes over the cottage house. Surely enough we find all the body parts. I myself didn't know where to look, but I got hunches and I had guessed right. We placed Jimmy's body parts in bags and I heard the chant being turned on, so I put on my glasses knowing that there'd be a ghost. Sure enough, there he was in all his glory.
He was a torso indeed, walking on his arms. He wanted to find his body parts, but was more intrigued by the chant as it led him closer to the glass prison. What was the chant saying that held the ghosts in a state of hypnotism? Jimmy slowly made it to the box and the box closed, sealing him in. our second ghost had been caught.
"I'd say that went fairly well," Cyrus says, as the chant is turned off.
"Yea," I say, watching as Jimmy circles over and over in his little box.
I knew what was coming ahead of me, the dangers that would be placed before me, but I hoped Erin wouldn't get killed doing it. I came back to this job mostly because of her, but I did too need the money. Everyone was packing up and Erin and I headed to the hotel.